Automatic ironing shoe reset



' y. J. A. cAs'rRlcoNE 2,253,950

Aug. 26, 1941. v AUTOMATIC TRQNING SHOE RESET '5 sheets-sheet 1 Filed May 16, 1938 T\%\ vlllulllhllldllwr v MN.

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Aug-26, 1941. Jv. A. cAs'rRlcoNE 2,253,950

' l -AUTOMATIC IBONING SHOE RESET Filed May 16, 1938 5 Sheetsheet 2 @WTTW 26 1941y J. A. cAs-rRlcoNE l 2,253,950

AUTOMATIC IRONING SHOE RESET Filed May fe, 1938 5 'sheets-sheet s y @7W M Aug. 26, 1941. J. A. cA'rmcoNE AUTOMATIC IRONING SHOE RESET 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 16, 1938 Aug. 26, 1941- J. AQ cASTRlcoNE 2,253,950

` AUTOMATIC RONING SHOE RESET 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 16, 1938 Patented Aug. 26,1941

AUTOMATIC IRONING SHOE RE-SET John A. Castricone, Peoria, lll., assignor to Altorfer Brothers Company, Peoria', Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application May 16, 1938, Serial No.,20'8r,137

Claims.

This invention relates to ironing machines anclA more particularly to an automatic' ironing In the conventional shoe reset mechanism.

ironer construction, it is customary to provide y van ironing bed and shoe'between which the work.

is passed during the ironingl operation. 'I'hese elements are subject to numerous variations, but

' as a rule the yironing Ibed is lof cylindrical or somewhat arcuate shape and is-provided with a fabric surface and suitable padding in a manner well understood in the art.. In power driven machines this bed is usually caused to revolve or oscillate in relationship to arheated Aironing shoe shaped to conform with the surface of the ironing bed and movable into and out of engagement therewith. It is 'customary to employ power driven means for causing the" ironing bed and shoe to engage and disengage, and ordinarily this roll driving means in such a manner that as the ironer bed lbegins to move, the bed and shoe are caused to engage, -while asl the bed ceases its movement, the bed and shoe disengage,

It is also quite customary to provide such mechanisms with an emergency release control and spring retracting means, whereby the ironing elements may be instantaneously disengaged irrespective of the power driving mechanism. 'I'he -necessity for such an emergency release `mechanism will be readily appreciated when it is considered that these ironers are usually supplied with power through the ordinary household cord and plug which may be easily damaged or disengaged in such a manner as torcause a power failure. .l

It should be 'pointed out that since the power driving means is utilized both to engage and disshe is in immediate danger" of being severely burned by contact with the heated ironing shoe, while if a separate reset control handlel is provided, the cost of the unitv is increased and in addi-tion the Vpresenceof an unsightly control lever increases thesize and complicates the operation of the machine. v 1t should also be pointed outthat in perhaps the majority of ycases the operator isentirely unfamiliar with the internal mechanism ofthe ironerV and having never been instructed as to the-proper manner of resetting the ,ironing elements, will believe that the machine is out of order.

It is, thereforepa primary object of this invention to provide an ironing machine with an emergency release mechanism of such design and construction that the ironing elements may be auto- 'power engaging means .is synchronized vwith the engage the ironing'. elements any 'power failure while the ironing elements are in engagement will l leave the highly heated ironing shoe in engagement with the work and also in engagement with the fabric surface'of the ironingvbe'd, and that i if this condition is allowed to continue for more than--a very few seconds, the,y heat of the shoe will scorchA or burn both the ywork being ironed and the fabric surface of the bed. Such an emerrequires vthat some means be provided for resetting the parts in their operative positions. This has heretofore .been accomplished by manually resetting the ironing elements either by means of a manual resetting control or by manually moving the elements themselves. 'I'his is -dis- `advantageous in that if the operator is required to manually move one of the ironingf elements,

lgency release construction, however, necessarily 1 matically reengaged in normal operating relationship afterrelease.

Another important object. of the invention is to provide a-power'driven ironing machine with a manual release mechanism of such design and construction that operation of the manual release will be effective to disengage and separate the cooperating ironing elements irrespective of the operation of the power driving means associated therewith but in which normal operation of such i. power driving mechanism subsequent to the manvual release will lbe effective to reengage theironing elements in normal operative relationship.

l Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a manually operable emergency release mechanism wherein the emergency released position of the ironing elements corresponds with the normal released position of the ironer pressure means and means for automatically engaging the elements with the pressure means as they reach' these positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a power driven ironer withv an emergency release effective to separate the ironing elements tc their normal released position and a secondary release means allowing the ironer elements to separate to a greater spaced relationship in order to facilitate cleaning or polishing of the ironer shoe. Another object of the Vinvention ls'toprovide an automatic ironer release mechanism .which is f' simple in construction, rugged in operation and economical in manufacture.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front `elevation of an ironingma` chine constructedv in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1;Y

. means of a control rod 2l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental end elevation of the ironing elements and power driving mech- 1 anism with certain parts being broken away to more clearly illustrate the ironing element pressure means.

Fig. 4 is a transverse detailed sectional view taken substantially on the plane ofthe line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the ironer driving means, certain parts thereof being shown in section.

Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional view of the ironer release mechanism, the parts thereof being shown in an emergency released position.

Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional view similar to Fig. 6, the parts being shown in their normal released position.

Fig. 8 is a detailed sectional view similar to Fig. 7, the parts being shown in their normal operating position.

The ironing bed I I is here illustrated in the form of a cylinder or roll, mounted for rotation on a bracket I2 which may be cast integrally with a gear housing I3 and supported inh any desirable manner upon the ironer frame I5. A driving motor I3 is bolted on the gear housing I3 and serves to rotate or oscillate the ironing bed II through the medium of a suitable gearing (not shown) housed within the housing I3.

- The motor operation of the ironer is controlled by control lever I1 pivotally mounted on the pin II and connected with the control shaft I3 journaled inthe wall ofthe gear housing I3 by 'I'he arrangement is such that the motor I3 will run continuously while the ironer roll or bed II may be engaged or disengaged from driving connection bythe actuation of the cntrol lever I1. When the control lever I1 is lmomentarily depresed, the

roll I I will be engaged and driven by means of the motor I3 until such time as the lever I1 is again depressed in order to disengage the driving connection and stop the roll.

The ironer shoe 3| is pivotally mounted on a pin 32 carried at the upper end of a .movable arm 33 pivoted to .the standard 34 by means of a pin 33. 'I'he shoe 3| includes a concave larcuate ironing surface 33 which is adapted to bear against the similarly shaped surface of the iron- 1118 bed II.

Power actuated pressure engagement between the shoe 3I and the bed II is accomplished by mounting an eccentric 4I on a rotatable shaft 42 within the gear case I3 and by operatively connecting the eccentric strap 43 with the movable ironing shoe 3I in such a manner that the shoe 3| will move into and out of engagement with the bed or roll II in. accordance with',` the the driving connection to the ironing bed I I is disengaged and simultaneously the eccentric 4I is again engaged and rotated 180 back to the normal disengaged position as illustrated in Fig. 3. This will. of course, result in moving the eccentric strap 43 back to the left and in allowing this motion to be transmitted to the swingl The eccentric strap 43 is provided with a slot 44 in order to engage a pin 45 carried by a crank arm 43 ilxedly mounted on an oscillating pressure shaft 41 journaled in bearings 48 formed integrally with the walls of the gear housing I3. A coiled compression spring' 49 is carried with a suitable socket in the eccentric strap 43 in order that a certain amount oi' yielding will be permitted between the ironing elements when they are in engaged position.

Predetermined pressure adjustment between the roll II and shoe 3| is accomplished by an arm 5I which is secured to the oscillating pressure shaft 41 by means of a cross pin 52 and which carries an adjustable index plate 53 angularly movable with respect to the arm 5I within `the limits prescribed by the adjusting slot I4.

position of the eccentric 4I with respect to the rotating shaft 42. The arrangement is such that whenever the control lever' I1 -is momentarily depressed and the ironing bed II begins to rotate, the shaft 42 will revolve 180"v from the position shown and will move the eccentric strap to the right as shown in Fig. 3, thereby causing the movable arm 33 to pivot downwardly about This index plate may be clamped in any predetermined angular setting with respect to 'the arm 5I bymeans of a cap screw 55. The driving shaft 41 extends beyond the index lplate 53 in order to provide a pilot portion 56 freely rotatable within the drilled opening 51 of a driven clutch element I8.- A driven oscillating pressure shaft I3 is secured within the drilled opening I1 in axial alignment with the driving pressure shaft 41 but is rigidly connected with the clutch element 58 by a cross pin 3|. A spring pressed plunger 62 is slidably mounted in a slideway 33 in the clutch element 58 and is normally held in locked engagement within a suitable oriilce 34 in theindex plate 53 by means of a compression spring 65 bearing against a threaded plug 33.

Examination of Figs. 5 and 6 will show that the arrangement is suchv that the oscillating movement of the pressure shaft 41, as imposed by means of the eccentric 4I and eccentric strap 43, will be transmitted through the pin 52 and arm 5I to the index plate '53 and then through the plunger 82 and driven clutch element 53 in such a manner as to oscillate the driven pressure shaft I3 in accordance with the movement of the driving pressure shaft 41 whenever the plunger 62 is seated within the orifice 64. The degree of pressure to be exerted between the lironing elements is adjustable yin accordance with the requirements of the work by adjusting the position of the index plate 53 with respect' to the arm II,

The opposite end of the driven pressure shaft Il is journaled in a bearing 1I carried bythe angle plate 12 secured on the lower surface of the top plate 13 by any desirable means, and is provided with a crank arm 14 rigidly mounted a: the extreme end by means of the cross pin The movement of the ldriven oscillating pressure shaft 53 is transmitted to the ironer shoe 3| by meansofa connecting rod 13 mounted on the crank pin 11 carried by the crank 14 and Ans extending upwardly to the pin 'I8 secured in bosses 13 within the walls of the swinging arm 33. The shoe l3I is normally urged out Aof ening stop shaft 86 mounted in one of the walls of.

the standard 34 and rotatable by means of a handle portion 81.

It will be seen from Figs. 4 and 5, that'theA inner end of this shaft 86 is cut away at 88 in order that the operator may move the shoe 3 from the normal operating position or emergency released position as shown in full lines in Fig. 4, to thesecond released position, as shown in dotted lines. To accomplish this, the operator will rotate the shaft 86 through approximately one-half of a revolution of movement by means of the handle 81, thusmoving-the cut-.away portion 88 to the lower side of the shaft, and allowing the flange 85 of the limit stop 83 to rise to a correspondingly greater height before engaging the shaft 86.

A manual release control lever 9| is pivotally mounted in a pair of bushings 92 carried within the frame i 5 of the ironer and is provided with a crank arm 93 having an orifice 94 therein adapted to receive a reduced end portion 95 of a horizontal lever 96 pivotally mounted on the stud 91. lA pull rod 98 is secured to the lever 96 and extends to a yoke 99 suitably pinned to the plunger 62 housed within the driven clutch element 58. The release lever 9| is not ordinarily used in the operation of the machine, but is provided as an emergency release in `order to prevent any possibility of damage to the machine or to the work which might be caused by failure of the source of power at a time when the ironing shoe 3| was in contact with the roll It should be understood that the ironing shoe 3| is normally maintained at a relatively high degree of heat, as provided by electrical heating units |6| controlled by the switch |82 and itis, therefore, imperative that the fabric surface |83 of the ironing bed be in motion atall times that the shoe 3| and the fabric |03 are in engagement.

As herein before pointed out, the control mechanism is such that the power drive is utilized not only to move the shoe 3| into engagement with the roll but also to movethese ironing elements out of engagement and, therefore, the emergency release lever 9| is provided ln order that the ironing elements may `be instantly disengaged `irrespective of the power drive, or in the event of a power failure. By moving the -emergency release lever 9| crank arm 93 carried thereby will move to the right as shown in Fig. 5, thus moving the horizontal lever 96 andcausing the pull rod 98 to withdraw the plunger 62 from the orifice 64 in the index plate 53 against the action of the cornpression spring 65. This movement completely disengages the operating connection between the vdriving pressure shaft 41 and the driven pressure shaft 59,leaving the ys haft5il free .to mev under 4/i the influencent the tension spring 8| which will I movement will be limited by means of the limit the index plate 53.

stop 83 which is so adjusted that the emergency release position of the shoe 3|, and, consequently, of the several parts to and including the clutch element 58, will exactly correspond with the normal operating position of these parts when they are released from' engagement with the roll by means of the operation of the eccentric 4|.

With this adjustment properly made, it will readily be seen that when the power drive is re' established and the eccentric 4| again rotated to the position shown in Fig. 3, the shaft 41 will .oscillate to bring the orifice 64 of the index plate 53 into registry with the plunger 62. As the index plate 53 moves into registering position with the plunger 62, the compression spring 65 will snap the plunger into the orifice 64 and automatically reset the machine for further opera-` tion by re-establishing thel pressure drive between the eccentric 4| and the ironer shoe 3|.

As hereinbefore pointed out, the normal stroke of the eccentric 4| is suflicient to move the crank 46 through the arc of the angle A, (see Fig. 3) but in order that the ironing elements shall en-.. gage under a resilient force rather than under a positive mechanical drive, the spring 44 is compressed during the latter part of the movement of the eccentric strap 43 and the actual oscillating movement of the shaft 41 is therefore represented by the angle A. The relationship between 'the angles A and A will also vary in accordance with the thickness of the workbeing 'ironed, but in any event it will be noted that shown, the pin 45 will always return to a position exactly upon the line X. Similarly, the cap screw 55 carried 'by the arm 5| at the opposite end of the shaft 41 will always return to exactly the same released position, which is also indicated by the line X in Fig. 6.

However, since the index plate 53 is adjustable with respect to the arm 5| within the limitswprescribed by the adjusting slot 54, the arc through which the center of the orifice 64 will move may be represented by the angle B when the machine is adjusted for maximum pressure or by the an.- gle B' when adjusted for -minimum pressure. This means that the full released position of the center of the orice 64 may lie at any point within the angle C,- according to the adjustment of (see Fig. 6.)

- As hereinbefore pointed out, in order to accomplish an automatic resetting ofthe machine, the angular positions of the orice 64 and ofthe 6o downwardly, the

plunger 62 must at some time correspond in orposition of the center line of the clutch element 58 and plunger 62 may be adjusted to any point within the angle D, which should be large enough to include the Aangle C.' Therefore, whenever the pressure adjustment is altered by varying the angular relationship between thearm 5| and 'the indexpiaie 53 the limit stop s3 may be correact to' draw-the-eonnecting 'rod 16 upwardly, i

, thuspiyotingthe swinging arm 33 about the pin v85 and withdrawing the sho,e 3| from engagement with the. ironing bed Il." upward spondingly adjusted in order 'that the plunger 62 and orice 64 will come into exact longitudinal alignment whenever the shoe 3| .is in its emergency released position and the eccentric 4| operates to move the oscillating shaft 4 to its normal released position.

tv certain .times it is desirable-to separate-the 'work positioned on the roll II.

ironing shoe 3| may be cleaned or polished. ,This movement is allowed as hereinbefore pointed out by moving the control handle 31 into such position that the cutaway' portion 33 of the shaft 33 is positioned on the lower half of the shaft in such a manner as to allow the limit stop 33 torise to a greater height than .the emergency released position. It will be understood. of course, that rotation of the handle 31 back to the position illustrated in the dra s will exert acamming action upon the ange l -of the limit stop 83'and will thus move the ironing shoe 3| from the dotted line position back to the full line position as i'llustratedin Fig. 4.`

In the normal operation of the machine the operator will rst place the work to be ironedLin position on the ironer roll II and'will then actuate the knee control I1 to start the rotary movement of the roll II and to cause the ironing shoe 3| to move into pressure engagement with the This is accom.- plished by means of the control rod 2| which extends between the knee control lever the control shaft I3 journaled inthe wall of the gear housing I3. The movement of the control shaft I9 will actuate suitable clutch mechanisms housed within the gear box I3 to rotate the eccentric 4I through 180 of movement from the position shown in the drawings and thus mbve the eccentric strap 43 to the right, as viewed in. Fig. 3, in such a manner as to oscillate the driv` ing oscillating shaft 41 and draw the swinging arm 33 downwardly by means of the connecting rod 16 and crank 14 to force the ironing shoe 3| into pressure engagement with the roll II.

The ironing shoe 3| will remain in pressure engagement with the rotating roll II until the knee control I1 is again actuated, at which time an automatic clutch mechanism housed within the gear box I3 will again rotate the eccentric 4| through 180 of movement to return the parts to the position shown in Fig. 3 to disengage the shoe 3| from the roll and stop the rotary movement of the roll II. The details of the mechanism within the gear box I3 by which this action is accomplished, have not been described in the present application since it forms no essential part of the invention and since it has been fully described in the United States Patent No. 2,115,941, issued to this applicant on May ments from engagement and move :them intol spaced relationship with each other. Both of these functions are accomplished by power transmitted through the gear box I3 from the motor I8, and the knee controlv lever I1, control rod 2|, and control shaft I3 merely serve as erated mechanism may be caused to operate according to the will of the operator.

The emergency release and reset mechanism which constitutes the principal novelty of this invention is controlled by the' manual release control lever 3|. Manual operation of this lever 3| will cause it to pivot in the bushings 32 to I1 and.

move the crank arm 33 and lever 33 in such a manner as to cause the pull rod 33 to withdraw the plunger 32 from the index plate 53. As hereinbfore pointed out, this operation will break the operative connection between the power operated pressure mechanism exemplified by the eccentric'll and the separable ironer elements II and 3| and will allow the tension spring 3| -to contract and urge the ironing shoe 3| out of engagement with the ironing roll II andinto the predetermined release position established by the adjustable limit stop 33 and the stop shaft 33. It will be readily understood that since the limit stop I3 and the connecting rod 13 are mechanically connected with the driven element 53, the

spring pressed plunger 32 will be caused to move to a predetermined release position governed by the adjustment of the adjustable limit -stop 33.

The relative positions of the roll and shoe 3| are now exactly the same as though the shoe 3| had been withdrawn from the roll by means of the power operated release mechanism exemzplified by the eccentric 4I, but this emergency release mechanism operates entirely independentlyof any power operated devices and is, therefore, adapted to release the shoe 3| from the roll -I I at all times. This provides important adwhich would be scorched and damaged if allowed to remain in contact with the shoe 3lA lfor an interval of time longer than a very few seconds.

To reset the emergency release'mechanism the operator need only actuate the knee controllever I1 which will operate through the eccentric 4I,

vas hereinbefore pointed out, to swing the driving element 3| into its normal released position.

driven element 53 will be in corresponding angular alignment and the compression spring 35 will snap the plunger 32 into the orifice 34 in the index plate I3 to interlock the driving element BI and the driven elementv 53 and re-establish the operative connection between the power operated pressure devices exemplined by. the eccentric 4| and the ironing elements I I and 3I.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of this invention as required by the patent statutes, IV am aware that it is subject to numerous modifications without departing from the invention spirit and I, therefore, do not wish to be limited except as by the `scope of the ap pended claims.

I claim:

l. In an ironing machine, an ironer bed comprising a rotatably mounted fabric surfaced cylindrical roll, and means for supporting said roll; an ironer shoe including an electrically manual actuating means whereby the powerop- ,l

driving said ironer bed with relation to saidironer shoe; power pressure means for moving said shoe and roll into and out of engagement,

said' pressure means including an oscillating driving shaft with an eccentric andcrank for imparting oscillating movement thereto, an os- F cillating driven shaft,(a disengmable clutch eley ment operatively connecting said driving and driven shafts, a crank on said driven oscillating shaft, and a connecting rod extending from said crank to aforesaid swinging arm; a manually operable emergency pressure release including mechanism effective to disengage aforesaid oscillating shaftl clutch and spring means urging said ironer shoe out of engagement with said ironer roll; and automatic pressure reset means including an adjustable release limit stop whereby the emergency released position of the driven clutch elements may be adjusted to correspond to the normal released positionof the driving parts, and spring actuated means adapted to reestablish the driving connection between said driving and driven clutch elements.

2. In an ironing machine, an ironer bed; an ironer shoe; power means for relatively driving said ironer bed and shoe; power pressure means for moving said shoe and roll into and out of engagement, said pressure means including an oscillating driving shaft with an eccentric and crank for imparting oscillating movement thereto, an oscillating driven shaft, a disengageable clutch element operatively connecting said driving and driven shafts, a crank on said driven oscillating shaft, and power transmission means extending from said crank to aforesaid ironer shoe; a manually operable emergency pressure release including mechanism effective to disengage aforesaid oscillating shaft clutch, and springmeans urging said ironer shoe out of engagement with said ironerroll; and automatic pressure reset means including an adjustable release limit stop whereby the emergency released' position of the driven clutch elements may be adjusted to correspond to the normal released position of the driving parts, and spring actuated means adapted to reestablish the driving connection between said driving and driven clutch elements.

3. In an ironing machine, an ironer bed; an

said driving and driven shafts, a power connection extending from said driven shaft to aforesaid swinging arm; manually operable emergency pressure release means effective to release aforesaid clutch, spring means urging said ironer shoe out of engagement with said ironer roll; and automatic pressure reset means including power driven means responsive to operation of the roll driving mechanism for moving said driving pressure clutch element into engaging relationship with said driven pressure clutch element at its emergency released position, and spring actuated means for reengaging said driving and driven pressure clutch elements.

5. In a pressing machine including a plurality of separable pressing elements, power-operated pressure means for moving said elements into pressing relationship and for causing said separable pressure elements to move into spaced relationship with each other, and manual control means whereby said power-operated pressure means may be caused to operate, the combination of means for transmitting pressure from said power-operated pressure means to aforesaid separable pressing elements comprising a driving pressure transmission element movable between n a pressure position and a predetermined release position; a driven pressure transmission element movable between a pressure position and a predetermined release position, means for causing said driving pressure element and said driven pressure element to operatively interlock when both of said elements assume said release position, spring means for moving said driven pressure transmission element to said predetermined release position when said driven pressure transmission element is not interlocked with said drivironer shoe; power means for relatively driving said ironer bed and shoe; manually actuated power pressure means for moving said shoe and roll into and out of engagement, pressure transmission means including a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a disengageable clutch element operatively connecting said driving and driven shafts, and adjusting means effective to vary the normal relative positions of said driving and driven shafts, manually operable emergency pressure release means effective to release aforesaid clutch, spring means urging said ironer shoe out of engagement with said ironer roll; and automatic pressure reset means including an adjustable release limit stop whereby the emergency released position of the driven clutch element may be adjusted to correspond to the normal released position of the driving parts, and spring actuated means adapted to reestablish the driving connection between said driving and driven clutch elements.

4. In an ironing machine, an ironer bed comprising a rotatably mounted -fabric surfaced cylindrical roll, and means for supporting said roll; an ironer shoe including an electrically heated concave ironing surface adapted to engage said fabric surface of said ironer bed, and means for supporting said shoe including a swinging arm;

. power means including a motor, a clutch, and

reduction gearing for rotatably driving said ironer bed with relationship to said ironer shoe; power pressure means for moving said shoe and roll into and out of engagement, said pressure means including a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a disengageable clutch operatively connecting ing pressure transmission element, and manually operable mechanism adapted to release said pressure transmission elements from said interlocked relationship.

6. In a pressing machine including a plurality of separable pressing elements, power-operated pressure means for moving said elements into pressing relationship and for causing said separable pressure elements to move into spaced relationship with each other, and manual control means whereby said power-operated pressure means may be caused to operate, the combination of means for transmitting pressure from said power-operated pressure means to aforesaid separable pressing elements comprising a driving pressure transmission element movable between a pressure position and a release position; a driven pressure transmission element movable between a pressure position and a release position, means for causing said driving pressure element and said driven pressure element to operatively interlock when both of said elements assume said release position, spring means for moving said driven pressure transmission element to said release position when said driven pressure transmission element is not interlocked with said driving pressure transmission element, and manually operable mechanism adapted to release said pressure transmission elements from said interlocked relationship.

7. In a pressing machine, a plurality of separable pressing elements; power operated pressure means associated with said pressing elements whereby said pressure elements may be moved into cooperating relationship with each other, said power operated pressure means comprising a motor, an eccentric driven by said motor and adapted for intermittent movement between a plurality of predetermined position, means for operatively connecting said eccentric'to said separable vpressing elements whereby said separable pressing elements will be caused to move into and out oi.' pressure engagement with each other responsive to the movement oi' said eccentric, manually actuated means whereby said eccentric may be selectively moved to any of said predetermined positions by the driving force exerted by said motor, and an emergency release mechanism comprising a clutch for breaking the operative connection between said eccentric and said separable pressing elements adapted to be released by manual manipulation independently oi any of said power operated mechanisms, said clutch comprising a driving element operatively connected with said eccentric and a driven element operatively connected with said separable pressing elements, spring actuated means effective to cause said driving element and said driven element to operatively interlock whenever said elements move into interlocking position, and means responsive to the operation of the aforementioned eccentric to move said driving clutch element and said driven clutch element into said interlocking position.

8. In a pressing machine including a plurality oi.' separable pressing elements and power operated pressure means for moving said separable pressing elements into engagement comprising pressure devices adapted for intermittent rotary movement between a pressure position and a release' position, a motor for driving said pressure devices, and manual control means whereby said prssuredevices may be moved from either of said positions to the other by the driving force yoi said motor to provide power operated means for applying pressure between the said separable pressing elements and power operated means for releasing said pressure, the combination of an operative connection including a clutch between said pressure devices and said separable pressing elements, manually operable means for disengaging said clutch to break said operative connection to release said separable pressure elements from said power operated pressure means independently of the operation of said pressure devices, and means responsive to the continued op-l eration of said pressure devices for causing said clutch to reengage to reestablish the operative connection between said pressure devices and said separable pressing elements.

9. In a pressing machine including a plurality oi' separable pressing elements and power operated 'pressure means for movingsaid separable pressing elements into engagement comprising pressure devices adapted for intermittent rotary movement between a pressure position and a release position, a motor for driving said pressure devices. and manual control means whereby said pressure devices may be moved from either of said positions to the other by the driving force of said motor'to provide power operated means for applying pressure between the said separable pressing elements and power operated means for releasing said pressure, the combination of an operative connection between said pressure devices and said separable pressing elements, manually operable means to break said operative connection to release said separable pressure elements from said power operated pressure means independently of the operation of said pressure devices, and means responsive to the continued operation of said pressure devices for causing said clutch to reengage to reestablish the operative connection between said pressure devices and said separable pressing elements.

10. In a pressing machine including aplurality of separable pressing elements and power operated pressure means for moving said separable pressing elements into engagement comprising pressure devices adapted for intermittent rotary movement between a pressure position and a release position, a motor for driving said pressure devices, and manual control means whereby said pressure devices maybe moved from either of said positions to the other by the driving force.

of said motor to provide power operated means for applying pressure between the said separable pressing elements and power operated means for releasing said pressure, the combination of pressure transmission mechanisms interconnecting said power operated pressure means and said separable pressing elements and comprising a driving member, a driven member, means for operatively interlocking said driving member and said driven member when each of said'members reaches a predetermined interlocking position, positioning mechanisms including a spring and limit stop to move said driven member to said predetermined interlocking position, means responsive to the operation of said power operated pressure means for moving said driving member to said predetermined interlocking position, and manually operable means to release said driven member from operative relationship with said driving member.

JOHN A. CASTRICONE. 

